Media

March 8, 2018 – Today, the federal Government Accountability Office reported that hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars have been given to four Planned Parenthood affiliates that are currently under federal criminal investigation for trafficking in the body parts of children they aborted. Together the affiliates received $544 million from taxpayers over a three year period (2013-2015), mostly from Medicaid and the Title X family planning program.

Additionally, a federal appeals court may remove the California judge who is preventing the release of more undercover footage showing abortion workers discussing the harvesting and trafficking of baby parts. The judge has refused to recuse himself, even though he has ties to plaintiff Planned Parenthood, which sued to stop the footage’s release.

Statement from Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action:

“Despite being exposed back in 2015 and currently under criminal investigation for trafficking in aborted baby body parts, Planned Parenthood’s affiliates directly involved in the brutal scandal are still receiving hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers.

“This should not be a partisan issue. Even those politicians who support abortion should be honest enough to admit that taxpayers shouldn’t be funding an organization embroiled in such barbaric and likely criminal acts, especially when there are federally qualified health centers where the money could be redirected to help more people. DaVinci Biosciences, one of Planned Parenthood’s partners in the baby organ trade, has already admitted to breaking federal law.”

And on the judge who refuses to recuse himself:

“Judge Orrick has a clear conflict of interest in this case that he failed to disclose from the beginning. After years of serving as an officer and board member of a family center that has a joint venture with and houses a Planned Parenthood facility, Orrick has no business presiding over this case. His hubris in refusing to recuse himself is so stunning that even the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals thinks removing him from the case deserves serious consideration.

“David Daleiden and Sandra Merritt have done a tremendous public service exposing Planned Parenthood’s gruesome baby parts trade. The abortion giant — not David, Sandra, and the citizen journalists who exposed its barbaric abuses — should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”

More information:

The four Planned Parenthood affiliates under Justice Department/FBI investigation are: Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, and Planned Parenthood Northern California.

Judge William Orrick was a founder and longtime board member of the Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, which has a joint venture with and houses a Planned Parenthood facility. The Planned Parenthood was incorporated into the resource center’s services while the judge served as the organization’s secretary and legal counsel. Orrick failed to disclose this relationship to the parties involved in the lawsuit.

Last week, a panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that David Daleiden’s motion to remove the judge from the case warrants a response from plaintiffs Planned Parenthood and the National Abortion Federation.